MOSCOW, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia will reduce its gas export that was pumped through pipelines stretching over Ukraine to Western Europe countries, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said here on Monday amid gas disputes with the neighbor.
Russian gas monopoly Gazprom's
Chief Executive Officer Alexei Miller raised the proposal to cut 65.3 million
cubic meters of gas export that was allegedly stolen by Ukraine during a meeting
with Putin who nodded, Itar-Tass and Interfax reported.
Miller also suggested the gas supplies be reduced
each day by an amount that may be diverted that day, pledging to compensate its
clients by increasing gas pumped to the West Europe via Belarus, Poland and
Turkey or buying gas in the market.
"Okay, I agree. Start such reductions today and
inform our European partners as well as the European Commission about the
situation," Putin was quoted as saying.
Russia and Ukraine failed to reach compromise over a
new price and gas transit fees for a 2009 contract.
The talks were hampered by strained ties between
Moscow and Kiev thanks to the latter's bid for NATO membership and its support
for Georgia during the Caucasus state's five-day war with Russia in August.
Gazprom accused Ukraine of "stealing" gas in transit
last Friday, one day after it cut off gas export to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials
denied the accusation, saying that Russia is not delivering the due quantities
to European clients.
Around a quarter of the gas used in the European
Union -- more than 40 percent of the bloc's imports -- comes from Russia, and
Ukraine sits on the main transit route for gas exports, accounting for 80
percent of the continent's gas supply from Russia.
A dispute over gas prices between Kiev and Moscow in
2006 sent jitters among European customers after Gazprom cut all gas supplies to
Ukraine.
KIEV, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Sunday raised the price
of natural gas it asked Ukraine to pay, intensifying the gas dispute which has
reduced supplies to several European countries.
Russia's state-controlled gas company Gazprom said the
company wanted 450 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic meters, 32 dollars more than its
last offer. Full story
KIEV, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine accused Russia on
Sunday of deliberately reducing gas flows to customers in Europe.
"We consider the actions of Gazprom as threatening
the energy security of Ukraine and Europe, which could bring unpredictable
consequences for the entire gas transit system of Europe," Ukraine's state
energy company Naftogaz said in a statement. Full story
Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom's
headquarters is seen in Moscow, Jan. 3, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Russia's suspension of gas supplies to Ukraine has
entered the third day with no settlement in sight. Some European countries have
begun to be affected by a gas shortfall.
On Friday, Russia's state gas monopoly Gazprom accused
Ukraine of "stealing" gas in transit. Ukrainian officials denied the accusation,
saying that they are withdrawing only enough gas to operate pumping stations
serving the pipelines.
KIEV, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine warned on Saturday the European Union (EU) that
the bloc could face serious gas shortfall in around 10 days if the gas row
between Russia and Ukraine is not resolved.
"If the Russian side does not provide more gas (to EU
member states) than at the moment, then in around 10 days there could be very
serious technical problems," President Viktor Yushchenko's representative on
energy security Bogdan Sokolovski told a news conference.
BUCHAREST, Jan. 3
(Xinhua) -- Romania's supply with gas imported from Russia will not be affected
by the problem existing between Kiev and Moscow, Romanian Foreign Minister
Cristian Diaconescu told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Ogryzko in a
telephone conversation on Saturday.
According to a press release issued by the Romanian
Foreign Ministry, Ogryzko assured Diaconescu that Romania would have to bear no
consequences following this situation. He said he wanted Romania's support for a
European mission to come to Kiev in order to evaluate the problem of gas supply.
SOFIA, Jan. 3
(Xinhua) -- The CEO of Bulgarian gas supplier "Bulgargaz" Dimiter Gogov said
Russian natural gas supply to Bulgaria went down Saturday but has not yet
reached a critical low point, according to local press report.
"The pressure in the pipe has gone down and since Saturday
morning we receive lower quantities of natural gas," Gogov said.
BRUSSELS, Jan. 2
(Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) called on Friday for immediate resumption of
full deliveries of gas to its member states after Hungary and Poland suffered
reduced supplies due to Russia's dispute with Ukraine.
"The European Union calls for an urgent solution to the
commercial dispute on gas supplies from the Russian Federation to Ukraine and
for an immediate resumption of full deliveries of gas to the EU member states,"
the Czech government, which assumed the EU presidency in the new year, said in a
statement.
KIEV,
Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Gas dispute with Russia will be settled by Jan.7, Ukrainian
President Viktor Yushchenko said in a statement Thursday.
"I think that we are close to a compromise and I ask
the Russian president, the Russian prime minister and Ukrainian negotiators ...
to do all they can so the talks can be completed as soon as possible."
MOSCOW, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Russia's state gas monopoly
Gazprom cut all natural gas supplies to Ukraine on Thursday morning after talks
broke down over payments for past shipments and a new energy price contract for
2009, a company spokesman said.
"Gas supplies have been completely cut as of 10:00 a.m.
(0700 GMT) today," spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said at a press conference.
Full story
